On March 22, 1943 guerillas attacked a fascist motor convoy by fire on the Minsk - Vitebsk motorway near the village of Kozyry which is just 6 km far from Khatyn. The motor convoy consisted of a passenger car and two trucks. As a result of the strafing attack a police officer, Hauptmann Welke, (who was chief commander of the 1st company of the 118th police battalion) and three other policemen were killed. Chasing partisans, the 118th battalion also killed about 30 people from the village of Kozyry, who were cutting wood in the vicinity of Logoisk and Pleschinitsy. The partisans who attacked the convoy, managed to hide from fascists.

In the afternoon the brutal punishment battalion rushed into Khatyn having previously called some reinforcement from the town of Logoisk where Dirlewanger SS troops were stationed.